Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

Radio 200 Adds

1       DEEP SEA ARCADE Outlands        Ivy League
2       WIZARDS OF TIME Will The Soft Curse Plague On?  Hidden Shoal
3       WALKMEN Heaven  Fat Possum
4       ALLEN STONE     Allen Stone     ATO
5       DIRTY PROJECTORS        Swing Lo Magellan       Domino
6       AESOP ROCK      Skelethon       Rhymesayers
7       JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD    Hypnotic Nights Warner Brothers-Infinity Cat
8       BARCELONA       Not Quite Yours NBD
9       ANTLERS         Undersea        Anti
10      BEACH HOUSE     Bloom   SUB POP
11      DIIV    Oshin   Captured Tracks
12      FLAMING LIPS    The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends       Warner Brothers
13      SLEEPMAKESWAVES         …And So We Destroyed Everything       Bird’s Robe
14      MICACHU AND THE SHAPES  Never   Rough Trade
15      GRASS WIDOW     Internal Logic  HLR
16      HUMANS  Traps   Hybridity
17      SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR   Chase The Sun [EP]      Secret Fox
18      ALBERTA CROSS   Songs Of Patience       ATO
19      JUNK CULTURE    Wild Quiet      Illegal Art
20      TWIN SHADOW     Confess 4AD
21      DELETED SCENES  Young People’s Church Of The Air        Park The Van
22      DAN DEACON      America Domino
23      THE YOUNG       Dub Egg Matador
24      TALLEST MAN ON EARTH    There’s No Leaving Now  Dead Oceans
25      LOST SOUNDS     Lost Lost       Goner
26      NED COLLETTE AND WIREWALKER     2       Fire
27      ANTIBALAS       Antibalas       Daptone
28      GRIZZLY BEAR    ”Yet Again” [Single]    Warp
29      TANGO IN THE ATTIC      Sellotape       Domicile Crocodile
30      JAPANDROIDS     Celebration Rock        Polyvinyl

Top 5 Adds

It is a common belief that the more people you have on stage, the better the performance will be. Dash’s performance at Kings on Friday was probably a testament to that statement, in that upwards of a dozen performers were playing at Kings, complete with instruments of all varieties– but all in the sake of solid tunes. The Wilmington-based group, fueled by support from friends, had a packed show with wholesome fun. Hey Roccio and Rio Brave were great openers to the show, as they provided enough zeal to keep listeners wanting more.

The electronic pop, jumpy rock band had at least five violinists on stage. I was slowly reminiscent of Ra Ra Riot’s temperance to include classical strings to indie favors. Dash’s performance was rife with catchy melodies that had everyone in the audience dancing along, in a crowd where the typical representative only gets “jiggy wit it” at weddings and maybe private indoor functions. “Into the Sounds” the group’s most popular hit (and incidentally one that receives quite some airplay on WKNC) flickered with a slow start, and ignited the whole venue.

In between songs, DASH peppered their set with covers of Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead” and Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”. It is always refreshing to see bands, especially ones that are locally based, to diversify their playlist from things that aren’t exclusively on their set.  With only a minor hiccups due to audio capabilities (forgivable for a band that large on stage), DASH were able to recapture the attention and fervor left by their other songs with a classical quartet performance in-waiting. Lead singer David Garcia smirked his way through his set, engaging and captivating as all performers are wont to be. A few head-nods and raised fist-pumps later, concertgo-ers were able to acclaim,  that they too, were “into the sounds”.

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

Radio 200 Adds 

1       JHEREK BISCHOFF         Composed        Brassland
2       A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS       Worship Dead Oceans
3       DEEP SEA ARCADE Outlands        Ivy League
4       DOSEONE G Is For Deep   Anticon
5       JEANS WILDER    Totally Everloving
6       HOT CHIP        In Our Heads    Domino
7       MAGIC TRICK     Ruler Of The Night      Hardly Art
8       WIZARDS OF TIME Will The Soft Curse Plague On?  Hidden Shoal
9       ECHO LAKE       Wild Peace      Slumberland
10      GRASS WIDOW     Internal Logic  HLR
11      DELICATE STEVE  Positive Force  Luaka Bop
12      JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD    Hypnotic Nights Warner Brothers-Infinity Cat
13      DIRTY PROJECTORS        Swing Lo Magellan       Domino
14      ALLEN STONE     Allen Stone     ATO
15      ANDREW BIRD     Break It Yourself       Mom And Pop
16      PEAKING LIGHTS  Lucifer Mexican Summer
17      SANTIGOLD       Master Of My Make Believe       Atlantic
18      DAN DEACON      ”True Thrush” [Single]  Domino
19      THE YOUNG       Dub Egg Matador
20      TWIN SHADOW     Confess 4AD
21      DELETED SCENES  Young People’s Church Of The Air        Park The Van
22      SLEEPMAKESWAVES         …And So We Destroyed Everything       Bird’s Robe
23      GUIDED BY VOICES        Class Clown Spots A UFO GBV
24      MARISSA NADLER  The Sister [EP] Self-Released
25      LEMONADE        Diver   True Panther
26      TY SEGALL BAND  Slaughterhouse  In The Red
27      LOST SOUNDS     Lost Lost       Goner
28      ERIC COPELAND   Limbo   Underwater Peoples
29      DIIV    Oshin   Captured Tracks
30      JACK WHITE      Blunderbuss     Columbia

Radio 200 Charts

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

Radio 200 Adds 

Update: The lineup for this year’s MoogFest will be released on Monday, August 6.

The lineup for the 2012 edition of MoogFest was originally due out mid-July. It’s almost August, however, and the lineup is still yet to be released. That should change in the coming weeks, as the festival announced via it’s Facebook page, “The wait is nearly over…the Moogfest 2012 line up and details are in the final stages of being locked down. We can’t wait to share it with you, so just a little more patience and all will be revealed.” Although the lineup release date has been pushed back, the festival seems to be dropping hints of some of the acts that might play the festival. So far, they have posted videos and music from Squarepusher, Richie Hawtin, Pantha du Prince, Julia Holter, and Orbital. In addition, Prefuse 73 mastermind Scott Herren hinted on his Facebook page that he’ll “be somewhere in: Asheville, N.C., with Teebs on: Oct.25/26.2k12.” Thomas Dolby and Primus have also independently confirmed they will be performing at the festival. While it originally seemed that New Order (sans Peter Hook) might be on the bill, with a U.S. tour ending just days before the festival, the fest’s organizers unfortunately announced that “they seem to insisting (sic) on going home a few days before Moogfest.”

For up-to-date information on this year’s festival, check out the official MoogFest website, it’s Facebook page, and Twitter account. Music blog Consequence of Sound has also been keeping track of hints and rumors via the MoogFest page in it’s Festival Outlook section.

Surfer Blood returned to Raleigh Sunday night at a packed Kings Barcade. They came through town last July for deja FEST, playing outside Lincoln Theatre during the day. While I definitely enjoyed both shows, I think this one was much better.

This time around I think they had a stage presence that wasn’t nearly as strong as before. John Paul Pitts (lead vocals/guitar) hopped down into the crowd and meandered through to sing a few of the songs. The rest of the band looked like they were either ultimately consumed by their instrument (like drummer Tyler Schwarz) or just having a lot of fun. Overall, the band exuded a confidence and comfort I didn’t necessarily see last year. They played all my favorites and sing-a-longs as well as a couple unreleased songs. If you are a Surfer Blood fan, you’ll love it — they remain true to their sound without letting it get stale.

The crowd was another significant part of the show: stage dives, crowd surfing, broken glass, discarded limes from tequila shots, chanting and clapping. Everyone had a great time, and hopefully Surfer Blood will be back for round three soon.

Rhythm and blues singer Mavis Staples joined indie rocker Andrew Bird as part of the North Carolina Museum of Art‘s summer concert series Tuesday night.

Mavis celebrated her 73rd birthday at the Museum Park, and one fan even brought her a bouquet of flowers as a gift. She has one of the most powerful female voice I’ve heard, filled with raw soul and confidence. There were bluesy guitar solos and impressive drumming as Mavis tried to mimic with her voice what each instrument was doing.

As a North Carolina native, I understand that summer storms are unavoidable, which usually is unfortunate when paired with summer concerts. Tuesday night it actually worked in the crowd’s favor. About mid-way through Mavis’ set, the sky opened. The crowd immediately shuffled for their ponchos and umbrellas, but there was a group of us that  rushed to the front of the stage to “take advantage of the overhang to stay dry” — in other words, we’d finally found a legit excuse to get right in front of the stage. The NCMA folks were very cool about this and didn’t try to make us move. The show instantly became more intimate. We all sat down, singing and clapping along to the songs knee-to-knee with our neighbors.

Then, Mr. Andrew Bird. Coming out on stage initially by himself with his violin, he began his show with “Why,” from his 2011 album “The Swimming Hour.” This was an absolutely beautiful intro to his show, especially with the steady rain as background noise. Seeing how the music was performed live made me appreciate him as a musician even more. He and his band used loop pedals flawlessly to switch back and forth between instruments and play multiple layers at once. Andrew rotated between violin (which was played traditionally and ukulele-style), guitar, glockenspiel and of course his famous whistling. Some of my favorites of the night included “Orpheo Looks Back,” “Eyeoneye,” “Bein’ Green,” A Nervous Tic Head Motion of the Head to the Left,” and “Fake Palindromes.”

July 11, Hopscotch Music Festival released its entire schedule featuring over 15 venues and 175 bands in downtown Raleigh. In light of the announcement, Adam Kincaid, host of the Local Beat, and Michael Jones sat down to discuss the schedule, band conflicts, festival expectations, and their general excitement at what the festival has to offer this year. To view the entire lineup check out it out here.

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MoogFest, the Asheville music festival that celebrates the life and legacy of Bob Moog, has announced the dates for this year’s festivities. The third iteration of the festival will be slimmed down to two days, Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27. The full lineup is set to be released mid-July. According to a statement on the fest’s website, “the festival will be a little different this year.” It is yet to be announced when tickets will go on sale.

A pre-festival show featuring Justice will take place on Thursday, October 25 at the U.S. Cellular Center (formerly the Asheville Civic Center Arena). The show will require a separate ticket. More info can be found here.

Lower Dens have had a good year. With the release of “Nootropics” in early May and overwhelmingly positive reviews afterwards, they have had one of the greatest stretches in their still young career. On top of this recent success recording, I took the trip to see how it would translate live at Kings during their show on Thursday June 21.

The evening kicked off with a non-musical act, something not expected and pretty entertaining. Alan Resnick took the stage as a man who has created the perfect digital copy of himself. His set continued as the comfortably awkward, passive-aggressive comedian interacted with his computer generated likeness albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, all as a part of the joke. It was a new and pleasing experience, as his set was fast enough to keep things moving and different and entertaining enough to keep the experience fresh.

Next it was time for No Joy to shine, a band I had only the minimal amount of experience with before. Their mid-tempo rock could range everywhere from slower hazy surfer rock to faster paced, mid-tempo Yuck-esque drone. If anything, their show demonstrated the growing sense of potential that the band has moving forward, something altogether exciting to look forward to.

However, the highlight of the night was clearly to be expected in Lower Dens’ performance. It was a fairly even mixture of tracks from their new album “Nootropics” and “Twin-Hand Movements.” The sound, which was once again excellent in Kings, proved to be one of the key factors in the success of the show. Their tracks came across as clearly as the record would have intended, and their precision was so spot on that you could tell there was a real sense of chemistry between each of the members. There was a consistently dreamy atmosphere surrounding Kings, as constantly changing patterns reflected on the band and the back of the stage complimented the beautiful shoe-gaze tracks that Lower Dens played. For a show that was not particularly long, it felt as if the show had been going on for days. However, this was the kind of show where you would not mind. One beautiful track after another accumulated for a hypnotizing performance and an amazing night for music in downtown Raleigh.

Last year was my first Bonnaroo, and I knew as I left the arch still dazed by Explosions in the Sky’s performance that I would return for the 2012 installment. And it didn’t disappoint.

Being a little more well-versed this year in what to bring (water water water water water..and glowsticks) we packed up the car and headed on the 9-hour drive to Tennessee.

DJ Kligz made some killer flower crowns for everyone:

Thursday, Centeroo opened before any bands started, so we explored the not-as-music-related activities:

Once the music got going, we checked out Rubblebucket at the Solar Stage. If you’re a triangle native, you may be familiar with them from Shakori Hills or when they opened for Tin Can Sailor at The Pour House. Funky and dancey, they put on one of the most fun shows all weekend. Word around the farm was Feist went to oneof their performances during the weekend too.

Next, I pretty much stayed at The Other Tent: The Cave Singers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., White Denim and Phantogram. The crowd was absolutely massive for all of these — we luckily had a spot on the right side up against the fence for most of this though. Sing-a-longs and long jam sessions kept the crowd happy.

Friday was packed with some of my favorite performances of the weekend.

At the Kooks, we ran into DJ Bex in front of Which Stage. They were as fun as you’d expect them to be and covered old songs as well as tunes from their most recent album, “Junk of the Heart (2011).”

I hopped over to That Tent to see Ben Howard — easily one of the best feeling concerts of the weekend. I realize I put Tune-yards on the back burner for this (still caught the last 30 minutes of their set, which included “Gangsta,” “Bizness,” and “My Country”), and I don’t regret it one bit. If you haven’t listened to Ben Howard, you should. The crowd was mesmerized and the band’s instrumentation was beautiful. Ben, I love you.

Two Door Cinema Club, who played at This Tent (these names aren’t confusing at all, right?), had a crowd so large that is was backed up to the Mushroom fountain — where paint-covered patrons cool off and attempt to get faux-showers. We went to see Laura Marling instead, who is as beautiful as you’d expect with effortless and smooth playing. After our ice-filled bandanas melted, we claimed some space at What Stage for The Avett Brothers. Their opening song was “Will You Return” which I couldn’t have been happier about. They play both slow and fast hits throughout their performance, as well as covered two Doc Watson songs. As NC natives, there’s no doubt he was a big influence on them.

As with any music festival, you should always check out the bands a little off the beaten path — hit the smaller stages and tents. Jukebox the Ghost followed The Avett’s performance at the Destination Escape Tent. The band’s energy was contagious. They not only played songs off their June release “Safe Travels,” but also did a super fun cover of “I Will Love You Forever.”

And there was no way I couldn’t reminisce about middle school and stop to dance when Ludacris played classics like “Roll Out,” “Move B*tch,” and “Stand Up.” Apparently there was also a life-size Justin Beiber cardboard cutout floating around the crowd, too. Foster the People had an equally large crowd, backed up to the point you could hardly see, despite the single big screen on the side of the stage. They had a cool set up though, with lights, neat backdrops — oh, and at least a two-story inflatable ghost monster thing that came out during “Pumped Up Kicks.” There was a mad rush to What Stage in preparation for Radiohead’s 10PM performance. They had puppet lights set up, which were moveable LED panels that changed position with each song. This was an iconic performance, and after Thom Yorke dedicated “Supercollider” to Jack White with a cryptic message, we can only wonder what’s next for them.

Saturday Agenda: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, The Temper Trap, Punch Brothers, SBTRKT, Mogwai, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice Cooper, Superjam (?estlove with D’Angelo), Skrillex

We waited in line for the pit for The Temper Trap, giving us a front and center view of the show. Not to mention watching Charles Bradley was a great start to the day with his feel-good soulful tunes. Seeing The Temper Trap without colorful lights was a little odd to me,  but they still did the water-filled drum solos they’re known for. Drawing a lot of the songs from their self-titled June release, they still hit on most of the favorites from their previous album “Conditions (2009)” (“Drum Song,” “Science of Fear,” “Down River,” “Sweet Disposition”).

Punch Brothers were somehow dressed in suits. While they looked classy, I can’t fathom how they weren’t dying. The heat was as bad as last year by any means and I believe stayed under 90 the whole weekend, but I still think anyone wearing long sleeves was a little insane. Seeing them perform, regardless, made me respect them a lot more. I’m fairly sure Chris Tile (mandolin, vocals) can rock harder and play faster than most speed-metal guitarists.

Switching from bluegrass to electronic, we moved over to SBTRKT, the London-based DJ.  Usually I’m not a fan of seeing electronic music live for the musicianship — I expect them to press a few buttons and dance around with a hint of emceeing. This was different. Moving all around the stage with his collaborator Sampha, they really made it something to watch to. There was even a drum set for a song or two.

Their final song came and Kligz and I pushed our way to the front as fast as we could. If you know me, you know I love post rock, and if you love post rock, you love Mogwai. Around since 1997 (“Mogwai Young Team“), they’ve made their heavy mark on the genre. And being from Scotland, they don’t frequent the US very much. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. The only thing that broke my hypnotic trance during their stellar performance was a band of Teletubbies that danced to the front of the crowd, hugged everyone, and left. Hashtag Bonnaroo.

Just when I thought my mind had recovered from their show, Red Hot Chili Peppers started. As a side note, I should say RHCP were one of the bands that my parents and I all enjoyed, so it was one of the go-to’s growing up. I’ve probably listened to “Californication (1999)” more than any other rock album and Flea has been my favorite bassist since I knew what one was.  This show is partially why I’m just now regaining my voice.

I promised my mom I’d see Alice Cooper. It was cool, and everything you’d expect at an Alice Cooper show — eyeliner, studded jackets, raised drumset, cocky pacing around stage. He’s still got it.

I don’t have pictures of either of these, but the Superjam and Skrillex finished the night. The Superjam was killer, Roots drummer ?uestlove led the jam, with originals and covers ranging to Zeppelin. This was prematurely interrupted as soon as Skrillex turned on his computer, radiating bass from the What Stage to the Mushroom Fountain in front of This Tent. It was a weird place to be, the intersection of two polar opposite types of music. We gave in and went over. In a raised platform, Skrillex was illuminated by a huge LED screen behind him and it rained glowsticks everytime the beat dropped.

As soon as we got back to our camp, it started raining — very atypical for Bonnaroo. The rain continued until the next day, misting on and off for Sunday.

I found a band I hadn’t heard of on Sunday – Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds. Brooklyn-based with nine members, their sound is a blend of rock, ska, blues and soul. We saw Fruit Bats (lovely, as always) and Grouplove (it was too crowded to see them, which took away a lot of the splendor of their performace), and I wish I would have seen The Black Lips. While en route to other concerts, they sounded like a lot of fun. We endured what we could of Mac Miller (sorry if you like him — not my cup of tea at all.. but he had a big backwards neon hat-wearing crowd that was really into it) to get a good spot for Ben Fold Five. This was their second show after reuniting as a whole band. They were all smiling from ear to ear, and Ben snapped some pictures of the crowd. Between songs were some silly stories and comments about their weekend. They played so hard Ben broke a string — on a piano. When does that happen?

The last show I saw of the weekend was The Shins, who followed BFF. Besides being surrounded by hardcore fans, we also spotted some celebs, like McLovin’ and other artists from the weekend. Beach balls flew around, everyone danced, and somehow the webstream made it look like it was sunny outside. Maybe that’s just another effect The Shins have.

All in all, amazing weekend.

See you next time, roo.

Damien Jurado probably writes the most depressing music of our day. In “Sheets”, he sings “Swallow him whole like a pill / that makes you choke and stills your soul.” It’s enough to make anyone’s heart heavy. Last Tuesday night, Damien Jurado graced Kings Barcade with his deep melancholy in a quiet, calm show.

In each ballad, there were bouts of soft rings, so quiet, you can hear a pin drop. For some songs, Jurado closed his eyes entirely and grimaced, as if imagining some past breakup occurring over and over in his mind. Mostly, he played songs of his latest record, Maraqopa, but the Seattle songwriter mixed his folk-rock with hints of synth.

Even though I pictured him with a stoic demeanor based off of his musical stylings alone, Damien was actually really engaging with the crowd. During “Ohio,” he came into the audience to feel the audience’s pain, as a preacher heals his congregation. Towards the end, when normal go-seers will start to hoot and holler with requests, Jurado bluntly said, “I’m not a jukebox”. He promised to visit us again for Hopscotch, with even more material! Adorning his acoustic was a badge of Washington State and the letters “HOME” stenciled in. Very West Coast.

It’s a good mix of slow, southern tunes with Jurado’s signature soul-infused voice. Just at the end of his set, he closed with my favorite, “Everything Trying” off of Caught in the Trees. “And I will sail back to you,” he professes. “How, Damien Jurado?” I whisper silently. A pause and then, “I’ll be sailing on your deep blue eyes.” Nevermind that my eyes aren’t blue, he spoke to me– nautically– and I was entranced.

Ben Sollee, from press kit

One of my favorite musicians, Ben Sollee, will be coming by the station on May 10  at 1 p.m. for an in-studio performance and interview before his show at Kings Barcade (Cat’s Cradle Presents). Sollee’s music is inspired by his Kentucky roots, but spans genres from folk to jazz, carried by his syncopated rhythms and smooth voice.

You may recognize Ben Sollee from his work with Daniel Martin Moore on Dear Companion, an album speaking out against Mountain Top Removal and preserving their Appalachian homes. This album was produced by Yim Yames of Monsters of Folk and My Morning Jacket.

Sollee joined other acclaimed genre-bending artists Casey Driessen, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn to form the Sparrow Quartet. This group was defined by intense instrumentation, worldly themes, and the tenor of Abigail Washburn.

If You’re Going to Lead my Country, Something Worth Keeping, Learning to Bend, and Inclusions are Sollee’s  solo EPs and LPs, respectively. These albums feature his political lyrics, blues-infused voice, and friends joining in on saxophones, percussion, and other instruments on many songs.  This show on May 10 at Kings Barcade marks one year since Inclusions was released.

Ben Sollee is different from many other “green” celebrities in that he lives the lifestyle to the best of his ability, showcased in his “Ditch the Van” Bike Tour.  Strapping the cello and other equipment to a tiny trailer attached to his bike, he has traveled to dozens of shows and thousands of miles with a much smaller carbon footprint than other touring artists.

Sollee is no stranger to the area, opening for The Rosebuds at a Hopscotch 2011 Day Party and an awesome show at Casbah in Durham.  I hope he likes the new bike lanes on Hillsborough Street.

Tune in to hear what I’m sure will be an amazing live in-studio performance and interview. If you have any questions for Ben, leave them as a comment or tweet them at us (@WKNC881) during the interview on May 10 from 1 -1:45 p.m.  Be sure to check out his performance at Kings Barcade May 10.

Listen to Americana Blues and Company on May 5 and the interview May 10 to win tickets to the show!

The Spring 2012 Shakori Hills Grassroots Music and Dance Festival is only three days away, which means we will begin our ascent onto FestivalMountain. Tickets are on sale at a discounted price today ONLY, and can be found here. A wonderful lineup is in store for this spring’s festival, including Leftover Salmon, Donna the Buffalo, The Red Clay Ramblers, BeauSoleil avec Michale Doucet, Curtis Eller and many more. The complete lineup can be found here.

WKNC will have a table setup where we will be selling merchandise and raffling off prizes. Come by and say hello, and you may get a sticker! We will be reporting all of the exciting festivities via Facebook and Twitter during the festival. Hope to see all you festival goers out there! Looks like we will be getting some rain, so be sure and come prepared!

For the latest news on the festival check out their webpage or Facebook page.